Automatic weighing means.



W. H. ROUGH. AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MEANS. APPLICATION FILED 00T.1,1908.

924,940, Patented June 15, 1909.

&

UNlTED sTArps PATENT OFFICE.

WILBUR H. ROUGH, OF ARLINGTON, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MEANS.

To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBUR H. ROUGH, a citizen of the United States,residing. at Arlington, in the county of Riverside and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Automatic Weighing Means, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an automaticweighing scale vide, in an automatic weighing scale, cut-off or gatemeans which will eliminate waste at the cut-off.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a row ofbins with the automatic weighing device arranged to coopcrate with anyone of said bins. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the weighing device.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is avertical section of the delivery means, the automatic cut-off, and theelectro magnetic controlling means therefor. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection on the line x"x in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 a plurality or series of bins 1 aresupported in anysuitable manner so that their delivery spouts oroutlets 2 are located inconvenient position for delivery to the weighing apparatus, or areceptacle therein, within convenient reach of the operator. Said binsare preferably arranged in a row. Above each spout 2 is provided apocket or gate-chamber open at the top into the bin and formed with asemi-circular bottom from which-the outlet spout 2 extends. The cut-offgate 4 consists of a segmental plate mounted on an arm 5 journaled bytrunnions or journals 5' in the sides of the chamber or pocket 3 andprovided with a handle 6 connected thereto by a stirrup 7,

said handle being on the outside of the case to enable the gate tobe'manually operated to open the outlet and allow discharge of materialfrom the bin through the outlet. segment or gate 4 works close to'thesemicircular bottom of the chamber? so as to effectually close theoutlet 2, said gate being entirely within the chamber 2, so that thereSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 1, 1908.

The

Patented June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 455,763.

, wall of the chamber at 9 and having a bent end portion 10 extendingunder the projection 11 on the cross arm 12 of stirrup 7, saidprojection 11 being forwardly and downwardly inclined so that in theupward movement of the ate operating means, the said projectionwi lengage with the lower end of atch 8 and move the same outwardly untilthe said projection asses the latch; whereupon thetlatch wil return bygravity, its lower end passing under the projection 11 to sustain thegate in open position. The bent end 10 of the latch serves in thisoperation to insure inward movement of the latch 8 if gravity provesinsufficient therefor, the stirrup member 7 being formed with a roll 13at each end which engages with this inclined end portion 10 in theupward movement of the stirru member to force the latch 8 inwardly. hehandle 6 for operating the stirrup member may consist of a round barextending between the roll portions 13 to form a convenient hand grip.Stirrup member 7 is adjustably connected to gate member 4 by serrateddisks 7, 4 respectively on member 7 and on journals 5 of arms 5",so'that the angular relation of said members may be adjusted, said disks7, 4 being clamped by nuts14.

When the gate has been moved to open position as above described, bythis manual the condition of balance of said scale, and

an electro magnet controlled by said circuit closer and operating thelatch 8 to release the same, said latch being of iron or magneticmaterial to enable its operation by the magnet.

The scale 15, of any suitable construction,

- of bins 1 so that the scale may be brought into operative relationwith any one of said bins by running or sliding the frame 16 along saidtrack. The scale shown comprises a base 22 and balance beam 23 and pans24, 25 respectively for the weighing weight 21 and for the receptacle 26for receiving the material to be weighed out.

The circuit closer consists of two terminals 27, 28 mounted andinsulated on frame 16, and a lever 29 pivoted on the base 22 and adaptedto move in a vertical plane into and out of position to bridge acrosssaid terminals 27, 28, said lever extending over a projection 30connected to move with the scale pan 25., A weight 31 is sli dablymounted on the lever 29 so as to be adjustable thereon to vary thedownward pressure on the projection 30 aforesaid, due to the lever 29.The terminals 27, 28 aforesaid are connected by circuit wires 33, 34with a battery 35 and with a coil 36 of an electro magnet 37 whose cores38 are supported on the cross bar 39 of the frame 16 in such positionthat when the frame 16 is moved to position to bring the receptacle 26thereon sup orted, directly beneath the delivery outlet 0 one of thebins, the pole pieces 40 of the electro magnet 37 will extend directlyin front of and adjacent to the latchS, so that on energization of theelectro magnet said latch 8 will be withdrawn from the projection 11 andthe gate will move to closed position under the action of gravity.Adjustment of weight 31 on controlling lever 29 is for the purpose ofcompensating for the diflerence in materials a series of notches 41being provided on said lever for holding the weight in differentpositions corresponding to different materials as su ar tea, cofiee,etc. In this connection it will be understood that the weighing scaletakes account only of the material that has actually reached thereceptacle and not of any material that is between the gate and thereceptacle so that after the closure of the cut-ofl the material whichat the moment of closure is falling from the gate to the rece tacle willbe added to the receptacle and w1l tend to give over-weight. This iscompensated for by the weight 31 which produces on the scale beam 23supplementary weight efiect sufficient to compensate for the materialthat was falling to the receptacle from the gate at the moment that thegate is closed. As this weight will be different for difierentmat'erials, the compensating weight 31 must be adjustable as stated.

The device is used asfollows: The operator first moves the weighingscale to that one of thebins which contains the material to be weighed.out.

r The receptacle 26 is placed onwthe pan 25 and the handle is movedupwardly until the projection 11 is caught by the latch 8, the gatebeing thus in open position. The material then feeds through outlet 2into the receptacle 26 until with the aid of the compensating weight 31sufficient pressure is produced on the scale to balance the weighingweight 21 whereupon the balance beam will assume a horizontal positionand the controlling member will come in contact with the terminals 27,28 closing the electro circuit and causing the electro magnet 37 torelease the latch 8 whereupon the gate 4 will move to closed positionunder the action of gravity. With materials such as sugar, which mightflow too freely under a full gate opening, the gate may be adjusted bymeans 7, 4 so that when the projection 11 is caught by the latch, thegate will be only partly open.

The form of adjustable controlling means shown may be used in connectionwith a single bin, in which case the track means is omitted.

Pan 25 is adjustable on scale beam 23 by screw support 42, working in ahanger 43, resting on knife edges on the scale beam. By this means thepan may be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of packages.

hat I claim is:

1. The combination with a row of ,bins each having an outlet, a gate forsuch outlet and an armature for holding the gate in an open position,means for returning the gate to closed position, a weighing scalemovable to receive material from any one of the bins, a circuit closercontrolled by said scale, a circuit including a source of electriccurrent and connected to said circuit closer, a magnet in said circuitand connected to move with the scale and in position to be brought intocooperative relation with the armature for any bin when the scale isbrought to position to receive material from such bin.

2. The combination of a row of bins each rovided with an outlet, a gatefor the outet, an armature and latch means for holding the gate in openposition, means for returning the gate to closed position, a track, aframe traveling on said track, a weighing scale supported by said frameand movable therewith to be brought into position to receive materialfrom any one of the bins, a circuit controller controlled by said scale,an electric circuit includinga source of electric current and controlledby said circuit closer, and an electro magnet carried by said frame andmovable therewith into position for cooperative relation with theaforesaid armature, and latch means for any one of the bins when thescale is brought to position to receive material from such bin.

3. The combination of a row of bins, a gate for each bin, anarmaturecontrolling the movement of the gate to closed position, a weighingscale movable to position to receive material from any one of the bins,a circuit controlled by said scale, and an electro magnet connected bysaid circuit and movable with the scale to o erate on the armature forthe bin at whic the scale is placed.

4. In an automatic weighing scale the combination with the scale beamand a member movable therewith, and a circuit closer comprising a leverextending over said member to be raised by the member to 0 en thecircuit closer or to be lowered to c ose the circuit closer, and aweightadjustable on said lever, said lever provided with means for holding theweight in different positions of adjustment.

5. In an automatic weighing means, a bin having an outlet, agate chamberover said outlet and opening from the bin and having a semi-circu arbottom, a gate member consisting of a segmental plate working againstthe bottom of said gate chamberjand moving into position to open orclose said outlet,

7 arms journaled in the side of the gate chamher and connected with saidgate member, operating means on said gate chamber and connected withsaid arms, said 0 erating means provided with a handle, Wit an inclinedprojection, and a latch hinged to the gate chamber and having a ninclined lower end for engaging said latch, said handle having a portionadapted to engage the inclined lower end of said latch in the extremeupward movement of the handle.

6. In an automatic weighing means, a bin having an outlet, a gatechamber over said outlet and o ening from the bin and having asemi-circu ar bottom, a gate member consisting of a segmentalplateworking against the bottom of said gate chamber and moving into positionto open or close said outlet, arms journaled in the side of the gatechamber and connected with said gate member, operating means-on saidgate chamber and connected with said arms, and an adjustable connectionbetween the said gate carrying arms and the said operating means, foradjusting the angular relation thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Riverside,California, this 17th day of September 1908.

WILBUR H. ROUGH.

In presence of- R. E. MAOJOHNSTON, R. L. COOPER.

